Mike Cavaliere, corporate risk manager for IKEA U.S. (standing) talks with LGBT activists at the Ikea U.S. corporate headquarters in Conshohocken Monday, Jan. 13, 2014. The activists handed posters symbolically representing 45,000 signatures protesting Ikea’s removal of an article featuring a lesbian couple from the Russian version of the company’s magazine. (Photo by Gene Walsh / Times Herald)

CONSHOHOCKEN — Members of the LGBT community met outside of the IKEA U.S. corporate headquarters on Allen Dale Road in Conshohocken Monday to present 45,000 signatures protesting IKEA’s recall of an article about a lesbian couple from the Russian version of IKEA Family Live Magazine.

The article about two lesbians raising their son in a small London flat appeared in the December issue of the magazine, but was pulled from the Russian edition so as not to interfere with Russia’s “homosexual propaganda laws” that ban “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” and prohibits minors from receiving information regarding homosexuality, according to a release from the Russian-Speaking American LGBT Association.

Members of the LGBT community have criticized IKEA’s self-censure, calling on the company to condemn Russia’s anti-gay laws rather than adhere to them.

Members of Spectrum Human Rights Alliance, Russian-Speaking American (RUSA) LGBT Association, and LGBT Assistance Russia organized an online petition through change.com and getequal.org that asked LGBT supporters to give their signatures. The petition demands IKEA republish the magazine and issue a statement condemning Russia’s “ban on promoting LGBT rights.”

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President of Spectrum Human Rights Larry Poltavtsev, RUSA LGBT activist Luke Ellenberg, founder of LGBT Assistance Russia and LGBT activist Vlad Rekhovskyy travelled from New York and Washington, D.C., to deliver the USB flashdrive that contained the 45,000 signature document.

“In our day and age there is such a thing as corporate responsibility,” Poltavtsev said. “Corporations need to set a standard that won’t tolerate the persecution of people for a cause of hatred and violence.”

Outside of the IKEA headquarters, the four activists made signs protesting the removal of the article.

As the activists took pictures outside the door to the offices, they were approached by an IKEA representative who identified himself as Mike Cavaliere. Cavaliere initially asked the activists to remove themselves from the premises.

When Larry and Luke explained their purpose, Cavaliere informed them he would take the signatures and try to deliver them to someone who is capable of accepting them and speaking with the activists.

“We’re happy someone was eventually willing to talk with us,” Poltavtsev said while they waited for Cavaliere to return. He admitted the group was initially doubtful they would be able to deliver their message.

A few minutes later, Cavaliere returned and invited Ellington to come inside the building by himself to meet with another IKEA representative, Stacey Kelly, who accepted the signatures and again promised to deliver them to the appropriate people within the company.

Kelly was not available for comment Monday evening.

Poltavstev said in a statement issued before the delivery of the signatures that IKEA has a solid history of LGBT support, but came up short this time around.

“IKEA has historically been a strong ally to the LGBT community, but they’ve really failed their LGBT costumers here, and particularly LGBT people in Russia. Based on IKEA’s history, they should have known better and need to issue a clear statement of support for LGBT Russians,” Poltavtsev said.

Ellington agreed with Poltavtsev, citing IKEA television commercials that aired in the U.S. featuring gay couples demonstrating IKEA products.

In the same statement, Yelena Goltsman, founder and co-president of RUSA LGBT, called on IKEA to condemn Russia’s laws. “Companies doing business in Russia simply can’t remain silent anymore when it comes to the human rights violations of LGBT Russians,” Goltsman said. “It’s time for IKEA to do the right thing, stand by their corporate values of equality, and stand with LGBT Russians.”

“We can’t go to Sweden so we need to initiate action where we can, and that’s here,” Ellington said about their goal in coming to the U.S. headquarters. “We are hopeful that they will pass the message along to their Swedish counterparts.”

“We hope IKEA seriously considers putting the article back in or into an upcoming edition,” Ellington said. “It’s such a great platform for educating people about the LGBT community. It’s a great way to say ‘Look at this family. We’re the same.’”